Memory Retrieval from First Principles

Receive, Retain and Retrieve: Psychological and Neurobiological Perspectives on Memory Retrieval

Memory and learning are interdependent processes that involve encoding, storage, and retrieval. Especially memory retrieval is a fundamental cognitive ability to recall memory traces and update stored memory with new information. For effective memory retrieval and learning, the memory must be stabilized from short-term memory to long-term memory. Hence, it is necessary to understand the process of memory retention and retrieval that enhances the process of learning. Though previous cognitive neuroscience research has focused on memory acquisition and storage, the neurobiological mechanisms underlying memory retrieval and its role in learning are less understood. Therefore, this article offers the viewpoint that memory retrieval is essential for selecting, reactivating, stabilizing, and storing information in long-term memory. In arguing how memories are retrieved, consolidated, transmitted, and strengthened for the long term, the article will examine the psychological and neurobiological aspects of memory and learning with synaptic plasticity, long-term potentiation, genetic transcription, and theta oscillation in the brain.

Hippocampal and Medial Prefrontal Cortex Fractal Spiking Patterns Encode Episodes and Rules

A central question in neuroscience is how the brain represents and processes information to guide behavior. The principles that organize brain computations are not fully known, and could include scale-free, or fractal patterns of neuronal activity. Scale-free brain activity may be a natural consequence of the relatively small subsets of neuronal populations that respond to task features, i.e., sparse coding. The size of the active subsets constrains the possible sequences of inter-spike intervals (ISI), and selecting from this limited set may produce firing patterns across wide-ranging timescales that form fractal spiking patterns. To investigate the extent to which fractal spiking patterns corresponded with task features, we analyzed ISIs in simultaneously recorded populations of CA1 and medial prefrontal cortical (mPFC) neurons in rats performing a spatial memory task that required both structures. CA1 and mPFC ISI sequences formed fractal patterns that predicted memory performance. CA1 pattern duration, but not length or content, varied with learning speed and memory performance whereas mPFC patterns did not. The most common CA1 and mPFC patterns corresponded with each region's cognitive function: CA1 patterns encoded behavioral episodes which linked the start, choice, and goal of paths through the maze whereas mPFC patterns encoded behavioral "rules" which guided goal selection. mPFC patterns predicted changing CA1 spike patterns only as animals learned new rules. Together, the results suggest that CA1 and mPFC population activity may predict choice outcomes by using fractal ISI patterns to compute task features.

Cortical oscillations support sampling-based computations in spiking neural networks

Being permanently confronted with an uncertain world, brains have faced evolutionary pressure to represent this uncertainty in order to respond appropriately. Often, this requires visiting multiple interpretations of the available information or multiple solutions to an encountered problem. This gives rise to the so-called mixing problem: since all of these "valid" states represent powerful attractors, but between themselves can be very dissimilar, switching between such states can be difficult. We propose that cortical oscillations can be effectively used to overcome this challenge. By acting as an effective temperature, background spiking activity modulates exploration. Rhythmic changes induced by cortical oscillations can then be interpreted as a form of simulated tempering. We provide a rigorous mathematical discussion of this link and study some of its phenomenological implications in computer simulations. This identifies a new computational role of cortical oscillations and connects them to various phenomena in the brain, such as sampling-based probabilistic inference, memory replay, multisensory cue combination, and place cell flickering.

Free recall scaling laws and short-term memory effects in a latching attractor network

Despite the complexity of human memory, paradigms like free recall have revealed robust qualitative and quantitative characteristics, such as power laws governing recall capacity. Although abstract random matrix models could explain such laws, the possibility of their implementation in large networks of interacting neurons has so far remained underexplored. We study an attractor network model of long-term memory endowed with firing rate adaptation and global inhibition. Under appropriate conditions, the transitioning behavior of the network from memory to memory is constrained by limit cycles that prevent the network from recalling all memories, with scaling similar to what has been found in experiments. When the model is supplemented with a heteroassociative learning rule, complementing the standard autoassociative learning rule, as well as short-term synaptic facilitation, our model reproduces other key findings in the free recall literature, namely, serial position effects, contiguity and forward asymmetry effects, and the semantic effects found to guide memory recall. The model is consistent with a broad series of manipulations aimed at gaining a better understanding of the variables that affect recall, such as the role of rehearsal, presentation rates, and continuous and/or end-of-list distractor conditions. We predict that recall capacity may be increased with the addition of small amounts of noise, for example, in the form of weak random stimuli during recall. Finally, we predict that, although the statistics of the encoded memories has a strong effect on the recall capacity, the power laws governing recall capacity may still be expected to hold.

[Procyanidin B2 protects neurons from cypermethrin-induced oxidative stress through the P13K/Akt/Nrf2 signaling pathway]

OBJECTIVE

To explore whether procyanidin B2 (PCB2) regulates the P13K/Akt/Nrf2 signaling pathway to protect neurons from oxidative stress induced by cypermethrin (CYP).

METHODS

Primary cultures of cerebral cortex neurons from C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into 5 groups: normal control group (cultured in serum-free neurobasal-B27 medium), PCB2 treatment group(treated with 5 μg/mL PCB2 for 24 h), CYP exposure group(treated with 50 μmol/L CYP for 24 h), PCB2 pretreatment group(pretreated with 5 μg/mL PCB2 for 30 min followed by exposure to 50 μmol/L CYP for 24 h), and LY294002 treatment group (pretreated with 20 μmol/L LY294002 for 30 min before treatment with PCB2 for 30 min and then CYP for 24 h).CCK-8 assay was used to analyze the neuronal viability after the treatments.Reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in the cells was detected using the fluorescent probe DCFH-DA and flow cytometry.The changes in nuclear morphology and mitochondrial membrane potential of the cells were examined with Hoechst 33342 and JC-1 staining, respectively.Western blotting was performed to detect the protein expressions of Nrf2, HO-1, p-Akt and Akt in the cells.

RESULTS

In CYP exposure group, the cells showed significantly decreased viability and mitochondrial membrane potential with obvious apoptotic morphological changes and abnormal ROS production.By comparison, the cells in PCB2 preconditioning group showed improved cell survival rate, reduced abnormalities in nuclear morphology, increased mitochondrial membrane potential, and lowered intracellular ROS production.CYP exposure caused Nrf2 nuclear translocation and up-regulated Nrf2, HO-1, p-Akt protein expressions in the cells, which were inhibited by PCB2 pretreatment.Inhibition of the P13K/Akt signaling pathway obviously neutralized the protective effect of PCB2 against CYP-induced neuronal injury.

CONCLUSIONS

PCB2 regulates the Nrf2/ARE signaling pathway by activating the P13K/Akt signaling pathway to protect mouse cerebral cortical neurons against oxidative injury induced by cypermethrin.

Cypermethrin-induced cortical neurons apoptosis via the Nrf2/ARE signaling pathway

Pesticide residue is a common problem worldwide. Cypermethrin is a type II pyrethroid pesticide that has been widely used in recent years. It has become a widespread residual pesticide in the environment and agricultural products. The neurotoxicity of cypermethrin remains a matter of concern. However, few studies have evaluated its toxicity on cerebral cortical neurons. As the center of the nervous system, the cerebral cortex is involved in a series of biological processes, such as learning, memory, emotions, and movement. The Nrf2/ARE signaling pathway has been considered to play a protective role in several central nervous system (CNS) diseases. We investigated whether this pathway plays a protective role in cypermethrin-induced apoptosis of the cortical neurons. We established a cypermethrin-induced apoptosis model in the cortical neurons using different cypermethrin doses and different incubation periods. The changes in Nrf2 protein and mRNA expression and its downstream genes HO-1 and NQO1 were detected by quantitative real-time PCR and Western blotting to study the role of the Nrf2/ARE pathway in cypermethrin-induced apoptosis of the cortical neurons. The results showed that the Nrf2/ARE signaling pathway has a protective effect in cypermethrin-induced apoptosis of the cortical neurons. However, this protective effect of the Nrf2/ARE pathway is very limited and is dependent on the exposure dose and exposure period of cypermethrin.

Neuronal mechanisms for sequential activation of memory items: Dynamics and reliability

In this article we present a biologically inspired model of activation of memory items in a sequence. Our model produces two types of sequences, corresponding to two different types of cerebral functions: activation of regular or irregular sequences. The switch between the two types of activation occurs through the modulation of biological parameters, without altering the connectivity matrix. Some of the parameters included in our model are neuronal gain, strength of inhibition, synaptic depression and noise. We investigate how these parameters enable the existence of sequences and influence the type of sequences observed. In particular we show that synaptic depression and noise drive the transitions from one memory item to the next and neuronal gain controls the switching between regular and irregular (random) activation.

Fundamental Law of Memory Recall

Human memory appears to be fragile and unpredictable. Free recall of random lists of words is a standard paradigm used to probe episodic memory. We proposed an associative search process that can be reduced to a deterministic walk on random graphs defined by the structure of memory representations. The corresponding graph model can be solved analytically, resulting in a novel parameter-free prediction for the average number of memory items recalled (R) out of M items in memory: R=sqrt[3πM/2]. This prediction was verified with a specially designed experimental protocol combining large-scale crowd-sourced free recall and recognition experiments with randomly assembled lists of words or common facts. Our results show that human memory can be described by universal laws derived from first principles.

[Cypermethrin induces cell injury in primary cortical neurons of C57BL/6 mice by inhibiting Nrf2/ARE signaling pathway]

OBJECTIVE

To study the role of Nrf2/ARE signaling pathway in cypermethrin-induced oxidative stress and apoptosis of cerebral cortex neurons in C57BL/6 mice.

METHODS

The cortical neurons of C57BL/6 mice were cultured and identified, and a cypermethrin-induced cell injury model was established by treating the cells with 0, 25, 50 and 100 μmol/L of cypermethrin for 48 h. CCK-8 assay was used to analyze the effects of cypermethrin on the cell viability, and the fluorescence probe DCFH-DA was used for detecting intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS); flow cytometry was performed for determining the apoptosis rate of the cells. The mRNA and protein expression levels of Nrf2 and its downstream genes HO-1 and NQO1 were detected using qPCR and Western blotting.

RESULTS

Exposure to cypermethrin at different doses inhibited the viability of the cultured cortical neurons. With the increase of cypermethrin dose, the viability of the neurons decreased progressively, the intracellular ROS and the cell apoptosis rate increased, and the neuronal injury worsened. At the dose of 50 and 100 μmol/L, cypermethrin significantly down-regulated the expressions of HO-1, NQO1 and Nrf2 at both the mRNA and protein levels in the cells (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Cypermethrin exposure shows a dose-dependent neurotoxicity by inhibiting Nrf2/ARE signaling pathway, down-regulating the expression of Nrf2 and its downstream genes HO-1, NQO1 mRNA and protein, and inducing oxidative damage and apoptosis in primary mouse cortical neurons, .

Emergence of hierarchical organization in memory for random material

Structured information is easier to remember and recall than random one. In real life, information exhibits multi-level hierarchical organization, such as clauses, sentences, episodes and narratives in language. Here we show that multi-level grouping emerges even when participants perform memory recall experiments with random sets of words. To quantitatively probe brain mechanisms involved in memory structuring, we consider an experimental protocol where participants perform 'final free recall' (FFR) of several random lists of words each of which was first presented and recalled individually. We observe a hierarchy of grouping organizations of FFR, most notably many participants sequentially recalled relatively long chunks of words from each list before recalling words from another list. Moreover, participants who exhibited strongest organization during FFR achieved highest levels of performance. Based on these results, we develop a hierarchical model of memory recall that is broadly compatible with our findings. Our study shows how highly controlled memory experiments with random and meaningless material, when combined with simple models, can be used to quantitatively probe the way meaningful information can efficiently be organized and processed in the brain.

Searching basic units in memory traces: associative memory cells

The acquisition of associated signals is commonly seen in life. The integrative storage of these exogenous and endogenous signals is essential for cognition, emotion and behaviors. In terms of basic units of memory traces or engrams, associative memory cells are recruited in the brain during learning, cognition and emotional reactions. The recruitment and refinement of associative memory cells facilitate the retrieval of memory-relevant events and the learning of reorganized unitary signals that have been acquired. The recruitment of associative memory cells is fulfilled by generating mutual synapse innervations among them in coactivated brain regions. Their axons innervate downstream neurons convergently and divergently to recruit secondary associative memory cells. Mutual synapse innervations among associative memory cells confer the integrative storage and reciprocal retrieval of associated signals. Their convergent synapse innervations to secondary associative memory cells endorse integrative cognition. Their divergent innervations to secondary associative memory cells grant multiple applications of associated signals. Associative memory cells in memory traces are defined to be nerve cells that are able to encode multiple learned signals and receive synapse innervations carrying these signals. An impairment in the recruitment and refinement of associative memory cells will lead to the memory deficit associated with neurological diseases and psychological disorders. This review presents a comprehensive diagram for the recruitment and refinement of associative memory cells for memory-relevant events in a lifetime.

Neural activity reveals interactions between episodic and semantic memory systems during retrieval

Whereas numerous findings support a distinction between episodic and semantic memory, it is now widely acknowledged that these two forms of memory interact during both encoding and retrieval. The precise nature of this interaction, however, remains poorly understood. To examine the role of semantic organization during episodic encoding and retrieval, we recorded intracranial encephalographic signals as 69 neurosurgical patients studied and subsequently recalled categorized and unrelated word lists. Applying multivariate classifiers to neural recordings, we were able to reliably predict encoding success, retrieval success, and temporal and categorical clustering during recall. By assessing how these classifiers generalized across list types, we identified specific retrieval processes that predicted recall of categorized lists and distinguished between recall transitions within and between category clusters. These results particularly implicate retrieval (rather than encoding) processes in the categorical organization of episodic memories. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Serial position, output order, and list length effects for words presented on smartphones over very long intervals

Three experiments examined whether or not benchmark findings observed in the immediate retrieval from episodic memory are similarly observed over much greater time-scales. Participants were presented with experimentally-controlled lists of words at the very slow rate of one word every hour using an iPhone recall application, RECAPP, which was also used to recall the words in either any order (free recall: Experiments 1 to 3) or the same order as presented (serial recall: Experiment 3). We found strong temporal contiguity effects, weak serial position effects with very limited recency, and clear list length effects in free recall; clear primacy effects and classic error gradients in serial recall; and recency effects in a final two-alternative forced choice recognition task (Experiments 2 and 3). Our findings extend the timescales over which temporal contiguity effects have been observed, but failed to find consistent evidence for strong long-term recency effects with experimenter-controlled stimuli.